Near the Center Line in Canada

Hello all

I'm Steve, currently living just east of Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada, just a few miles away from the line that divides North America in half north / south.

Unlike most of the world we still have snow drift in our yards up to 5 feet high. Needless to say it has been a very longgggggggggggg winter. We have had snow since the day after Halloween. So cold that my Corolla could only register -30 (which it did for most of the winter this year) as it doesn't register -45 which we had for weeks on end. A  brutal, stay indoors kind of winter.

Hence my searching on line for energy efficient, sustainable back up heating ideas.

Our family operated Fly In Hunting and Fishing Camps northeast of Kipawa, Quebec so I grew up with self sufficiency running in my blood early on.

Now in my late 50's and still always looking for what will save energy and resources and do it even better than before. At our Camp we would put ice away for the summer and cut about 30 cords of wood, real 4x4x8 cords, that's a lot of birch for one summer. Imagine how many trees we could have saved had we know about Rocket stove technology.

I am very pleased to have a forum like this and find others who share an interest in use less resource more responsibly.

My goal is to come up with a unit that will be multi-functional. It will place outside my home (backyard), it will provide me with a fire to watch, a grill to fry on, an oven to bake pizza etc and then in winter I'd like it to boil water which I could send into a rad fixed into my duct work where the fan is always on.

Am I dreaming too much or does this make sense to anyone else?

Imagine homes having access to such a retro fit rocket stove. No insurance issue to deal with, no worries about freezing pipes and just in case things got serious a place to do cooking and survival living if need be.

I hunt, fish and have a trappers, I like to eat and cook what I can catch, trap or gather. Very interested in alternative home building techniques and of course free energy for said homes.


Looking forward to learning and share with you all.

Steve

if your on about a system that could be used during the summer like grill and oven and also suit for doing a central heating system the answer is no

seperation of these is a better idea grill and oven for summer barbeques and a system that works inside a shed providing hot water and central heating

the thing with outside systems is you will need to over insulate a combined system would be floored before you start however a shed built system is an alternative however wandering to refill it when needed isnt going to be the best of subjects at those temps

otherwise welcome to the forum and do enjoy yours search within the forums theres plenty of diffferent versions of rocket stoves cooking area

Hi Steve, really nice intro and welcome.

I enjoyed reading your introduction, you come across as a down to earth individual.